A wireless device can be provisioned with a profile (also referred to herein as an eSIM). Various network entities participate in provisioning of an eSIM to a secure element (SE). The SE may be, for example, an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) or universal integrated circuit card (UICC), where the eUICC or UICC is housed in a wireless device. Inefficiencies can arise if an error event occurs during eSIM installation flow designed, for example, to provide a profile to the eUICC. An eSIM installation flow may also be referred to herein as a profile download flow.
Aspects of eSIM provisioning include the downloading, installing, enabling, disabling, switching and deleting of a profile on an SE. A profile is a combination of operator data and applications provisioned on an eUICC in a device for the purposes of providing services by an operator, for example, a mobile network operator (MNO). A profile can contain one or more secure data used to prove identity and thus verify contract rights to services. To establish trust between communicating entities, public key infrastructure (PKI) techniques can be used. During assembly of a device, the eUICC can be inserted into the wireless device. The wireless device can include a local profile assistant (LPA). The LPA is involved with installation of a new eSIM into the eUICC of the device.
A profile can be identified by a unique number called an ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier). A wireless operator is a company providing wireless cellular network services. An MNO is an entity providing access capability and communication services to its subscribers through a mobile network infrastructure. In some cases, the wireless device is user equipment used in conjunction with an eUICC to connect to a mobile network. A wireless device may also be referred to herein as simply a device. An end user or customer is a person using a device. An enabled profile can include files and/or applications which are selectable over an eUICC-device interface.
Some profile downloads are triggered when a device pulls a notification message from a root server, where the notification is first pushed to the root server by an eSIM server. The root server, in some instances, may be referred to as a subscription manager discovery service (SMDS) server. The notification can include an event identifier and an address of the eSIM server. The device proceeds to inquire of the eSIM server about the event identifier, reaching the eSIM server using the eSIM server address of the notification.
A document related to remote provisioning and management of eUICCs in devices is GSM Association document GSMA SGP.22: “RSP Technical Specification,” Version 1.1 Jun. 9, 2016 (hereinafter “SGP.22”).